Like the 49ers fourth-quarter lead in Sunday’s NFC Championship game, California’s once-impressive Sierra Nevada snowpack is steadily shrinking. Only a month ago on New Year’s Day, after big atmospheric river storms in October and December, the statewide Sierra snowpack stood at an impressive 168% of normal for that date, boosting hopes that the state’s severe […]
The snowpack which feeds into Pine Flat Dam is a healthy one. It’s a little above average at this point, according to the first snow survey of the season conducted by the Kings River Water Association. “What we’re told is this is the kind of year, the kind of weather pattern where we get wet […]
What exactly is being done to solve Marin County’s drought crisis, which is now entering its fourth year? The simple answer is: Not Enough. Don’t be fooled by the spate of blessed and brief rains. More severe droughts are practically guaranteed and this one is not yet finished despite rising reservoir levels. Let’s focus on […]
Over the past 40 years, California has not completed a major water storage project of statewide significance despite the state’s population nearly doubling. Without substantial new investments and commitments to capture, store and move water throughout the state, whole communities will be subject to water scarcity and farmers will be unable to produce adequate food […]
There’s the kind of Dry January that follows an overly indulgent holiday season, where you swear off alcohol for the first 31 days of the new year. Then there’s the kind we just had, where, except for a few errant spits of rain, the skies remained clear for an entire month with no significant rain […]
Rainfall totals were nearly double the average in Northern California in December 2021. That’s what made the following month such a stark contrast. January 2022 will go down as one of the region’s driest Januarys on record. Just a few weeks without rainfall was enough to dry out the ground, warm up the air and […]
California Drought: Sierra Nevada Snowpack Falls Below Average After Dry January
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Mercury Timesby Paul RogersLike the 49ers fourth-quarter lead in Sunday’s NFC Championship game, California’s once-impressive Sierra Nevada snowpack is steadily shrinking. Only a month ago on New Year’s Day, after big atmospheric river storms in October and December, the statewide Sierra snowpack stood at an impressive 168% of normal for that date, boosting hopes that the state’s severe […]
What Dry January Means for Central California Farmers
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /ABC 30by Dale YurongThe snowpack which feeds into Pine Flat Dam is a healthy one. It’s a little above average at this point, according to the first snow survey of the season conducted by the Kings River Water Association. “What we’re told is this is the kind of year, the kind of weather pattern where we get wet […]
Opinion: Water District Must Expand Supply by Reconsidering Desalination Plan
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Marin Independent Journalby Richard RubenWhat exactly is being done to solve Marin County’s drought crisis, which is now entering its fourth year? The simple answer is: Not Enough. Don’t be fooled by the spate of blessed and brief rains. More severe droughts are practically guaranteed and this one is not yet finished despite rising reservoir levels. Let’s focus on […]
Opinion: With Budget Surplus, Now is the Time to Fund Vital Water Projects
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Cal Mattersby Jim Nielsen and Andreas BorgeasOver the past 40 years, California has not completed a major water storage project of statewide significance despite the state’s population nearly doubling. Without substantial new investments and commitments to capture, store and move water throughout the state, whole communities will be subject to water scarcity and farmers will be unable to produce adequate food […]
Dry January and Rain-free Forecast Puts All Hope in a Miracle March
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Press Democratby Mary CallahanThere’s the kind of Dry January that follows an overly indulgent holiday season, where you swear off alcohol for the first 31 days of the new year. Then there’s the kind we just had, where, except for a few errant spits of rain, the skies remained clear for an entire month with no significant rain […]
Forecasting Our Future: Warmer, Drier Weather Driven by Climate Change Could Make Off-Season Wildfires More Frequent
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage, Uncategorized /by Mike Lee /KCRAby Heather WaldmanRainfall totals were nearly double the average in Northern California in December 2021. That’s what made the following month such a stark contrast. January 2022 will go down as one of the region’s driest Januarys on record. Just a few weeks without rainfall was enough to dry out the ground, warm up the air and […]